Currently, toggle switches, momentary switches, or thermal circuit breakers are used. A switch is an electrical component that can break an electrical circuit, interrupting the current or diverting it from one conductor to another. Most switch applications are automotive or marine. The switches require a fuse to work. If a failure occurs typically a panel has to be opened to troubleshoot the components. This can be very difficult to accomplish, especially in a marine application.
Typically, thermal breakers can be used for marine application. Thermal breakers tend to be large and do not require fuses. However, it is difficult to pinpoint whether a failure is caused by a faulty thermal breaker or some other anomaly on the circuit. Further, thermal breakers have only one amp setting, which means that if the electrical load is changed, the breaker must be changed as well, which is costly.
Attempts have been made over the years to try to incorporate fuses into a switch. U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,692 to Weber shows and describes a fused switch. However, this fuse is difficult to replace. since it requires the fuse slide through a longitudinal slot in the base of the switch, where the fuse can easily fall out, and become easily lost inside of a bracket or panel box, and the like. As such, this switch would not be practical for use in different applications, such as but not limited to marine applications and the like.
Breakers and switches are bulky, expensive, and difficult to install and troubleshoot while on a vehicle or vessel.
As can be seen, there is a need for an easy to use a compact switch with a built in circuit protection, such as a fuse.